<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">With Paul Pierce eligible to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2007, the Celtics plan to talk to their captain this offseason about an extension. And Pierce said he is more than ready to listen. ?Definitely, I want to talk about that,? he said. ?I know that?s a situation that?s coming up, but I probably won?t get much into that until the season?s over. It?s just good to know that a team wants you around for an extended period of time and wants to talk to me about it.? There will be several things for Pierce to consider, among them the outlook for the Celts, who took yesterday off after being all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff chase by a 100-94 loss to the Bulls here Saturday. ?We?ve had our problems - things that are going to happen with a young team - but I definitely like where this team is headed,? he said. ?I like our young guys and I like the mix we have after the trade (with Minnesota).? The Celtics are aware of how mixed up their mix would be if Pierce departs. ?It?s not just how great a player Paul is,? director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. ?You have to look and see how he?s developed as a leader and how the young guys look up to him and follow him. ?We just want Paul to stay around, and I?ll sit down with him and his agent this summer to talk about an extension.? So what?s in it for Pierce if he signs here? Well, in addition to the security, there is monetary benefit. The Celtics can pay him more than any other club, based on collective bargaining rules designed to try to keep teams together. A player can have a maximum of five years on his contract at any given time, so Pierce would be looking at a three-year extension this summer that would take him through the 2010-11 season. If he plays out the year and signs a five-year free agent deal, he?d be on the books through 2011-12. </div> link: http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/vi...rticleid=133366
I'm in favor of extending him, but not before we shop him around to see what his value is. And I'm not so sure we should give him Kobe money.
